OPEN HEAVENS Devotional – Tuesday February 23rd 2016
TOPIC: HOW OLD ARE YOU?
Memorize: So teach us to number our days, that we may
apply our hearts unto
Read: Psalms 90:1-12,
1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place
in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought
forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting
to everlasting, thou art God.
3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and
sayest, Return, ye children of men.
4 For a thousand years in thy sight are
but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
5 Thou carriest them away as with a
flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth
up.
6 In the morning it flourisheth, and
groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and
by thy wrath are we troubled.
8 Thou hast set our iniquities before
thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
9 For all our days are passed away in thy
wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
10 The days of our years are threescore
years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is
their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger?
even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
12 So teach us to number our days, that
we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Bible in one year: Luke 17:11-19:27, Job 27:13-28:6
MESSAGE
The theme of Psalm 90 focuses on making the most of the
short lifespan that we have as mortal human beings. The passage speaks of death
as ‘returning to dust’, and discusses the total lifespan of man as being
transitory, like an ordinary grass of the field. It also describes what humans
proudly refer to as ‘glorious years’ as ‘a short lifespan spent in serious
labour and great sorrow’. Therefore, Psalm 90 discusses the concept of human
life with such an unpleasant and derogatory language that it calls to mind the
need to find a way of making the best out of life. The situation is made worse
by the complimentary witness of other Bible passages such as Ecclesiastes 1:2:
“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of
vanities; all is vanity.”
Job 14:1-2 that says:
“Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of
trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a
shadow, and continueth not.”
Furthermore, the experience of life tallies with the Word
of God in the most perfect sense, as revealed in the biblical testimonies of
people such as Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Esther, Ruth, David, Solomon,
Elijah, John the Baptist, and the Apostles. The stories of the life of these
people of God are full of hard labour, uncertainty, disappointment, betrayal,
persecution, failure, and death. Though these people were mostly prophets and
anointed kings, yet their stories show that they ended well only by divine
intervention. Bible scholars generally identified Moses as the author of Psalm
90. The counsel of this great prophet who succeeded in life despite having his
own fair share of troubles and tribulations should therefore be taken
seriously. Psalm 90:12 says:
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our
hearts unto wisdom.”
True wisdom comes from God alone and it is quite
different from worldly wisdom that is based on human cleverness, insight, and
intuition without God’s revelation which brings little profit. This passage
speaks of the ability to make the most of our time in this world, despite the
brevity of life. To do this requires a new understanding of the meaning of
life. To number our days is to value the time we have by using it for eternal
purposes. Focusing on eternity which then produces a heart of wisdom, enables a
child of God to live in line with the Word of God.
Godly wisdom is made available by digging deep into the
Word of God. It is received through total submission to the will of God,
imparted to Christians by God’s Holy Spirit, and graciously given in responses
to the fervent prayers of the saints of God. As you begin to dig deeper into
the Word of God in total submission to His will in prayers, He will pour down
His heavenly wisdom upon your life in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point
Father, please fill me with the wisdom to excel in life
and ministry in Jesus’ name.
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